The subject matter disclosed herein relates to filters and filter devices for use in fuel dispensing systems.
Fuel dispensing systems transfer fluids (e.g., gasoline, diesel, etc.) from storage tanks to receptacles, e.g., a fuel can and/or fuel tank on a vehicle. These systems include a dispensing unit that, in some examples, incorporates a pump, a nozzle, one or more grade selectors, and payment components to complete transactions. During operation, an end user (e.g., a customer) interacts with the dispensing unit. This interaction can activate the pump to draw fuel from the storage tanks and to expel the fuel from the nozzle.
These systems are susceptible to failures, whether in connection with extended use and/or environmental conditions or due to assembly and part defects that occur during manufacturing, assembly, and installation of the system. The failures can result in leaks. These leaks can allow fuel and other effluent to leach into the environment that surrounds the dispensing system. This effluent can cause extensive environmental damage and result untold costs for clean-up, remediation, and potential fines.
Moreover, leaks can render the dispensing systems ineffective because of air that penetrates into the system during operation of the pump unit. The air mixes with the fuel. This resulting mixture can lead to inaccurate measurement of the amount of fuel that the system dispenses, e.g., to the end user. If left unrepaired, these problems can result in charges to the end user that are inaccurate (e.g., higher) that the actual amount of fuel the system dispenses.
Periodic inspection and maintenance of the fuel dispensing system can help to identify leaks. Conventional inspection techniques may utilize specially-designed pressure gauges and/or use cameras that provide images of components (e.g., pipes, valves, etc.) not readily available for visual inspection. These devices can help diagnose problems in the fuel dispensing system. However, to deploy these techniques, the system is likely shut-down and taken off-line. This situation can result in lost capacity and revenue because the fuel dispensing system is inoperable until the inspection is complete.
Other fuel dispensing systems may incorporate devices that offer in-situ leak detection during operation of the fuel dispensing systems. For example, nozzles may incorporate components that afford a visual inspection point for the technician. This feature, however, is typically not in position to indicate air penetration because the visual inspection point is downstream of air separators and/or other components that remove air from the fuel before the fuel reaches the nozzle. In other examples, the fuel dispensing system can include sensors that monitor properties of the fuel, e.g., pressure differentials that may indicate the presence of leaks. However, in many cases, leaks that occur in the fuel dispensing system are initially small and, thus, do not register pressure differentials that are within the measurement range of the corresponding sensor.